Lucknow, Nov. 8 -- Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav is likely to visit the Ram temple in Ayodhya for the first time on December 12, three years after its consecration, a party leader announced on Saturday, prompting a sharp reaction from Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. "SP national president Akhilesh Ji along with his family will first visit Hanumangarhi and then the Ram Temple. I will also be with them," party leader and former UP minister Tej Narayan Pandey, popularly known as Pawan Pandey, announced. This will be Yadav's first visit to the grand temple since its January 2024 consecration. Within hours of the announcement, Adityanath said: "Those who had neglected and insulted (Ayodhya), who had opened fire on Ram devotees and subjected saints to lathicharge, should certainly come to Ayodhya, but only after apologising. Let them apologise once toRam devotees and once to the saints. Let them repent for their actions." To be sure, while he made the allegations, Adityanath did not name the SP or its chief. "Those who used to leave the streets of Ayodhya soaked in blood are today unable even to recall their own past," he said, adding that some people did not even understand the decorum of a religious discourse. Reacting to Adityanath's comments, SP national spokesperson Abbas Haider said, "The chief minister should stop preaching about apologies and introspect instead. During Akhilesh Yadav ji's government, Ayodhya witnessed concrete development, including the construction of a Bhajan Centre, beautification of the Saryu ghats and initiatives to promote religious tourism. We developed Ayodhya without dividing people in the name of religion."...